NewsNow E-Edition February 3, 2022 by newsnow Niagara

> Convoy organizer, PC and Liberal MPs offer their opinions /Pgs 3-5 > Respect seems a thing of the past: Turcotte Pg 8 > Lincoln hosts several vax clinics Pg 8 > “Coldest Night” looks for participants Pg 11 Thursday, February 3, 2022 Vol. 10 Issue 38

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Trucker support

Overpasses along Ontario’s 400 series highways were filled with local residents showing support for truckers headed to Ottawa for last weekend’s Freedom Convoy 2022. Grimsby and Lincoln were no different. See Pages 3-5 for more details.

Grimsby confirms opposition to photo radar program By Mike Williscraft NewsNow After a second round of debate, Grimsby Council voted 5-4 to reject Niagara Region’s plan to implement a photo radar program. A series of financial concerns, which largely went unaddressed during a presentation by regional officials at a Committee of the Whole session, and problems with the program justification could not be overcome. Coun. Reg Freake told council at its Jan. 21 meeting he believed the matter should be reconsidered. “I think there’s a program here that we can adopt which will save lives and that’s the important thing for me,” said Freake, who noted several statistics showing declines in speeding and

accidents from a Toronto study. Coun. Dave Kadwell said the program would improve safety for those most vulnerable, children, cyclists and pedestrians in general. “It’s another tool for us,” said Grimsby director of public works, Brandon Wartman. Coun. Randy Vaine, who has spoken in favour of the photo radar program - and the red light cameras which are also part of the package - said he would not support the proposal because all the Town’s wards have speeding issues and photo radar in selective locations will push speeders onto peripheral routes. “If the Region would move these around to non-regional roads I would support these 150 per cent but if

you’re just going to pick certainly regional roads and all that other stuff, I can’t,” said Vaine. Coun. Dorothy Bothwell said photo radar and red light cameras are only two aspects of the region’s Vision Zero Road Safety Program, adding that other measures can be carried on. She noted the program includes hiring 12 new court staff and two project managers at a cost of $15 million over three years. “This motion is not to financially support other initiatives within the Vision Zero model. The Vision Zero model and initiatives can continue without implementing red light cameras and ESEs (automated speed enforcement),” said Bothwell, who added several actions are available to

enhance safety measures. Coun. Lianne Vardy was concerned the measure was being proposed with no public engagement on the matter. Coun. Dave Sharpe said, using Region numbers, projections equate to each camera issuing “several hundred” tickets per day, with nearly $1 million in fines coming from two cameras proposed for Grimsby. “The Region wouldn’t tell us what the threshold is that will trigger a ticket. They also wouldn’t tell us the hours,” noted Sharpe. Councillors Bothwell, Sharpe, Vaine, Vardy and Kevin Ritchie opposed approving the program. Councillors Freake, Kadwell, John Dunstall and Mayor Jeff Jordan voted in favour.

Page 2 • NewsNow • Thursday, February 3, 2022

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Opinion: Two years of frustration culminates in rally By Harold Jonker Co-Organizer Freedom Convoy 2022 The border vax-pass mandate is just the icing on a very big cake. This convoy is made up of people from all different walks of life! Truckers are leading this movement in order to have their voices heard by our government. Over the past couple years, we have tried all the regular ways to plead with our MP’s and MPP’s through letters and phone calls etc. Those methods have proven fruitless all the way through. The people were ignored and further locked down and

forced, not asked, to take a medical procedure regardless of the consequences for some. People continue to get hurt by all these mandates whether our government wants to admit that or not, that is the hard truth. So, along with us trucker convoys came families in cars, pickups and vans to support the legal, peaceful protest that you see going on in Ottawa right now. Sure, there are a lot of horns honking but no one ever got hurt by a horn. I speak on behalf of all the organizers of this event when I say, we have come 100 per cent in peace to exer-

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cise one of our few remaining rights and we feel that it is our civic duty to speak up for the sake of this beautiful country that God has entrusted to us. A huge THANK YOU to all the supporters in every single town, every single truck stop, every single restaurant, on every single bridge and on-ramp along the way. In freezing cold weather and snow storms you waved the Canadian flag proudly and gave the whole country shivers down their spines as the convoys passed through. This country cares about each other, that was made abundantly clear! You all are the

best and we couldn’t have done it without you. You know who you are! You are the people who handed out food, drinks, cards and encouragement along the way to every single one of us truckers who invested in this trip for the sake of our future. And it was all done free of charge. We love you all and we want you to know that we won’t give up. Thanks to all of you, we have enough supplies to stay here for as long as is needed. And the gifts keep pouring in! What a blessing! We will continue to hold the line in Ottawa, we are not going anywhere!

Keep praying for us in our task here! Keep sharing only the truth! Delete the lies and anything that doesn’t tell the whole truth. We need to get back to the truth so we can be unified once again Canada! We assure you all that this will remain a peaceful event and if there are any people doing anything violent, they are not a part of us and will be reported. At the time of writing, all is well and keep

your ears open for updates as the days go by! Fellow Canadians, you have shown in the past few weeks, the actions that are called for in Hebrews 13:1-2 – “Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.” NIV GOD KEEP OUR LAND, GLORIOUS AND FREE!!

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On January 26th, the Bank of Canada announced that its target overnight benchmark rate would remain unchanged, at 0.25%. The Bank had reduced this rate in the Spring of 2020, as a response to the global shutdown caused by the pandemic. However, after the Bank’s recent assessment on the overall state of the economy, both in Canada and globally, it has determined that such quantitive easing is no longer required - leaving us reasonably certain that we will see rates rise this year as anticipated. For almost two years, the Bank has kept the economy on life support. The assumption is that the Bank of Canada must get its target overnight rate back up to around 2% to be in a position where it is neither stimulating nor restraining economic growth. It is this target overnight rate that determines the Prime lending rate for variable rate mortgages. As I shared last week, I anticipate that, by the end of 2023, we may see Prime at its pre-pandemic rate - 3.95%. There is much speculation and angst about how quickly the Government will act, however, concerns about extreme rate increases are overblown. Our economy could not handle a quick ascent, so that should temper measures. While rising interest rates may sound like bad news on the outset, there are positives. As rates rise to keep pace with the desired inflation rate, the price of commodities and services will stabilize, making trips to the grocery store and gas pumps less burdensome to Canadians. Savers will appreciate higher rates. The housing market could also become more balanced. The next rate announcement is March 2nd.

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Opinion: Sacrificing others not way to go By Vance Badawey Liberal MP Niagara Centre For NewsNow Our television and social media feeds have been filled this weekend with images of people dancing and parking their cars on the National War Memorial; of a baseball cap placed on the head of the statue of Terry Fox, and decorated with signs and an inverted flag; of Canadian citizens marching with flags containing images of swastikas and many other symbols of hate. We watched as a small portion of our

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population attempted to claim they were carrying the torches lit by those who died protecting Canadians over the past century in wars and battles around the world. We watched as a small contingent demanded that we “Mandate Freedom,” missing the lesson that Canadians earned their freedom by willingly sacrificing to protect each other – the exact opposite of the actions we witnessed this weekend. What we didn’t see this weekend were the

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almost 90 per cent of Canadians and truckers who have stood up for our country and for the safety of its citizens and our way of life by willingly getting vaccinated. We didn’t see the almost 90 per cent of Canadians complaining they were tired, that working to keep older Canadians alive or keeping food on our tables was too much of a chore, or that their freedom to allow a disease to continue mutating and infecting their fellow citizens was being infringed

on and they didn’t think that was fair. We didn’t see the almost 90 per cent of truckers who continue delivering goods to shelves across our country and who made sure it was safe to do so by getting vaccinated. We can all understand frustration; what we can’t allow is for ignorance to rule the day or for anyone to believe that the easiest, best way out of this is to give up on each other, or to sacrifice others to alleviate our own discomfort.

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strategy that has quickly become punitive and in bad faith. The Liberal Party sold itself to Canadians as being inclusive and committed to bringing our country together. Instead, we have endured one of the most divisive federal governments and Prime Ministers in all of Canada’s history. The federal government has scapegoated the unvaccinated and engaged in reckless and dangerously divisive rhetoric and fearmongering: us vs them, vaccinated vs unvaccinated. What is most concerning, however, is the inability or unwillingness of many politicians (of all stripes) and the courts to uphold the Constitution and civil liberties out of fear of doing or saying anything that they believe to be “unpopular”. The problem and threat is not that it is done cynically today to get a few extra votes. The real danger is that it negligently acclimatizes society toward accepting and permitting violations of our most basic rights and civil liberties. It’s time to do the right thing. Drop the mandates. Drop the vax-passes. Return to normal. And never, ever repeat these draconian and punishing measures again.

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ration dates. The government has articulated no endgame or what success looks like. Throughout this pandemic we have seen the erosion of our institutions, the unilateral use and abuse of power, and the refusal to return emergency powers as the emergency passes. Across the globe, many countries have already begun repealing most or all restrictions – the UK, Spain, Ireland, and the Czech Republic. Even Israel, who championed vaccines as the “silver bullet” and restrictions, is now openly debating whether to scrap their vaccine mandate. The pandemic has evolved. It is January 2022, not March 2020. The vaccines were a critical tool to get us to this point, but they have fallen short of expectations. This fact has been accepted by all major health authorities, including the WHO, Health Canada, and CDC. And while the rest of the world is coming to terms with what the pandemic and science looks like today, and transitioning to more diverse and appropriate strategies, our federal government continues to doubledown on a strategy that is no longer relevant – a

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By Dean Allison Conservative MP Niagara West For NewsNow Many of you have heard about the “Truckers for Freedom” protest in Ottawa. The protest is said to symbolize a major pushback against vaccine mandates and restrictions. Much of the media and the federal government have been trying to smear and discredit the truckers as anti-vaxxers, inconsequential, fringe, and dangerous. The Prime Minister weighed in, saying that the truckers hold “unacceptable views”. This, after he praised and thanked them in 2020 for their essential work. Let’s also not forget, as my Conservative colleague Pierre Poilievre recently said, “truckers have kept us alive” during this pandemic. But this protest and movement is not just against the mandates and restrictions. It is a national condemnation against the undemocratic, unaccountable, non-transparent and cynical attitude of the federal government. The never-ending restrictions have been subject to almost no debate or scrutiny by Parliament. They were implemented without oversight or expi-

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Wow!!! What a year this has been for so many including GBF Community Services meeting all the needs of this beautiful community. GBF Community Services provided 206 Christmas Hampers to individuals and families experiencing difficult times. The compassion and dedication that is so eagerly expressed by the community means more neighbours can confidently and optimistically look to a brighter future in 2022. GBF is committed to providing leading edge and dignified services always. Our program can be credited to all the people who donated food, toys, monetary, gift cards and sponsored families. The volunteers and staff who worked to make sure everyone in our community experienced a beautiful Christmas… Thank you!!!

There was an amazing feeling in the air as people came to pick up their hampers. What a wonderful thing to experience after we all endured a challenging year due to Covid restraints. Thank you to all the service clubs, schools, businesses that continue to support our efforts. We look forward to your continued support. Thank you for supporting and donating to our Social Enterprise (Retail Store, 40 Elm Street, Grimsby). When you donate or shop at GBF Community Services, you’re also taking part in supporting a very important cause which is meant to support

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Much of convoy hubbub not about COVID

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There are two things missing in today’s society, as made obvious by this weekend’s protest convoy in Ottawa. One is respect, and the other is understanding of the meaning the word freedom. Respect is esteem or honour for a person, thing or quality. Therefore we show respect for our country, our religion, our family and friends; but not only ours, but also the country, religion, family and friends of other people. By being respectful of others, we show self –respect, too. Freedom, of course, means that we are independent, able to

A Small Drop of Ink By Dorothy Turcotte think and act as we wish, without fear of enslavement or prison. It doesn’t mean that we can do whatever we want, if by our actions we hurt other people or break the laws of the land we are in. If everyone could do exactly as they want, every minute of the day, the result would be anarchy/ chaos which is the opposite of freedom. The actions of some of the people at the Ottawa protest prove. that they do not understand either

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respect or freedom, although they would undoubtedly be quick to complain if someone showed similar disrespect on their home turf. It was shocking to see our flag displayed with the maple leaf upside down, and one such flag also had a swastika in the corner. Both are direct insults to Canada. Similarly the person who was shown dancing or at least hopping up and down on the tomb of the unknown soldier at the War Memorial was insulting all Canadians. Even our hero Terry Fox took a hit, with a sign stuck on his statue. Perhaps such “protesters” think their behaviour is funny and gets them attention. Instead, it just shows their ignorance of history and our pride in Canada. If they are Canadians, they should lose their citizenship. If they are visitors, they should never be allowed back into Canada. None of this has been about COVID.

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Peacefully, with loving family at her side. Cathy passed away on January 28, 2022 at Joseph Brant Hospital in Burlington. Cathy was born in Venlo Holland on March 19, 1948 to Matteo and Rit Jansen. She is survived by her husband Tom, her sister Terri, and her children Debbie (Jamie), Chris (Amanda). She will be sadly missed by her grandsons, Matthew, Cameron, Reid and Cohen. She worked at Ross Pottery and Skyway Reprographics and leaves behind many friends from her times there. She was a longtime member at Twenty Valley Golf and Country Club and was known to look forward to the special and a glass of Chardonnay after ladies’ day. Family wishes to extend their gratitude to the incredible staff at both Joseph Brant and West Lincoln Memorial for their care and compassion during what was a difficult time. Pre-registration is required for visitation. Please visit Cathy’s obituary page at tallmanfuneralhomes. ca to register. Visitation will take place at the Vineland Chapel of Tallman Funeral Homes, 3277 King St. Vineland on Wednesday, February 2 from 2-4 and 6-8pm. All Provincial COVID Protocols will be in place including the wearing of masks at all times. Private Funeral Service. Donations to McNally House in Cathy’s memory would be appreciated. Online condolences at tallmanfuneralhomes.ca.

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Region needs to call a spade a spade Grimsby council is taking some heat - and not for the plethora of reasons it normally does. Council’s decision to vote down Niagara Region’s traffic camera implementation program has frosted more than a few cookies at regional HQ. Aside from the many financials inquiries which went unanswered during a presentation by regional officials during a Committee of The Whole session, the general questions about the true intent of the program were also left floating in the wind. Simply, the program was touted as a safety measure for a large number of school zones across the region. Everybody wants safety for students going to school, sure, seems like a good idea. So, let’s get things set up and live for those “drive times” when kids/parents are headed to school or going home. For conversation, let’s say 7-10 a.m. and 3-6 p.m. No, wait, Region wants the cameras live 24/7. Councillors asked why would that be if the whole idea is boost safety measures for students? Crickets. That is the crux of the issue. And yes, there is some merit behind those who simply say, “If you don’t want a ticket, don’t speed”. Fair enough. But here’s the thing...the vast majority of any day, especially evenings and overnight, there are a handful of cars on the road and nary a student in sight. Speed limits in school zones are set at 40 kms/hr, lower than anywhere else in the rest of our communities. If you’re doing 52 in a 40 - which is not speeding generally speaking, but is in that area, you’re going to get popped and with an increased fine since it was a school zone. As noted in previous editions, sure, get those red light cameras in there. That can save lives. Creating a cash grab to ding people at all hours for going basic cruising speed is just another overstepping of power, which Canadians roll over for too many times. Grimsby Council got this right and it is surprising more municipalities don’t see the initiative for what it is. M.W.

Rally just confirms, yes, everyone is exhausted The weekend’s (still going somewhat) truck convoy rally in Ottawa was like staring into a lava lamp - you think you see something, but it quickly evolves into something else. Is what you think you see right there in front of your eyes, or is it an anomaly in a bigger picture. But what is that “big picture” as even that changes and evolves. In a way, the events which unfolded on a host of live streams over several days, somehow, accurately conveyed just about everything people across the world are feeling. The massive problem for those who attempted to organize the original event - a mandatory policy for truckers to be vaxxed to re-enter the country - was only a fraction of the messages which came from days of video clips and photos which saturated social media were on point. I never understood their concern since the U.S. demands vax proof for truckers to get into their country in the first place. Normally, as a national event, I would not have given this much play. I worry about Niagara West and I don’t really care much about anything outside this area. I would have run one photo of supporters on an overpass and been done with it. However, when one of the key organizers is Harold Jonker, a West Lincoln resident, that localizes it. The sad part of just about any issue these days is there is no room for discussion or debate. Decorum is gone have you seen Grimsby council? If you disagree you are a blind idiot and cancelled, you’re out. What drives this is reac-

MIKE WILLISCRAFT tionary messaging which elicits strong and immediate emotion. Emotion takes over for logic because our social media culture allows for swift and visceral reaction with zero recourse. Then that reaction gets fed back to those same people through the algorithms which the Facebook’s of the world use to keep you coming back, the fires get stoked and we end up with misinformation running rampant. There were lots of titillating shots from the rally. Everyone knows about the war memorial incidents, the Terry Fox statue being wrapped in a flag and a sign affixed as well as, the capper, the swastika flag. There are few things on the planet that make one want to barf on the spot. Seeing a swastika in our nation’s capital is surely one of them. It hurts. It’s embarrassing. It stokes the fire of everyone who just wants these folks to shut the hell up and take their medicine like the rest of us. The problem is, one of many, that was the low hanging fruit for onsite media. Yes, it was there, but any media worth its salt got that shot and used it like a beacon of meaning for the whole event.

That was not a driving force of the event, however. What was? That is the nut of the issue for organizers. There was none. I took in hours and hours of coverage on every station. watching to see how things were portrayed. Idiots screaming “fake news” at anybody with a media logo were among those who eliminated any credibility for the event. There were truckers there to protest the vax policy. The industry has 80-90 per cent of its drivers vaxed, though, and the rest were hard at work. You had people who just plain don’t like being told what to do. They were mad at everyone. You had people who were like the majority of Canadians - tired, worn down, financially and emotionally damaged, desperate. What do desperate people do when backed into a corner? They lash out, just trying to survive. Regardless of opinion, you cannot fault that. I wanted opinion right from the source, so I requested 500-600 words from coorganizer Harold Jonker, Conservative Niagara West MP Dean Allison and a Liberal Niagara Centre MP Vance Badawey. Their thoughts are on Pages 3-5 unedited. If you are sifting through the fallout or trying to figure out what you even think about it all, just step back and think about what much of that event was saying not just a handful of idiots’ actions. There is no wrong answer. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. That is what freedom is about.

News Now • Thursday, February 3, 2022 • Page 11

Coldest Night of the Year seeks participants The YWCA Niagara Region is bringing back their Coldest Night of the Year walk-a-thon to West Niagara this February. For the seventh time, the organization is looking for walkers, who will raise funds for their transitional housing program. The event will take place on Feb. 26 but due to current restrictions, participants can walk on any day in February. “Of course we wish we could have the big in-person event that we have had in the past,” said event director Arienne Good. “But with the virtual format, we definitely have some advantages as well, and we saw that people really enjoyed that last year.” Those advantages include flexibility when it comes to the day and time of your walk, and the fact that you can take your dog with you. “You can truly make the walk your own,” said Good, adding that teams can join a virtual celebration and kick-off on event day, or arrange for their own fun version of the walk on a different day throughout the month of February. “Last year, walkers really enjoyed being able to map out their own route, and taking lots of pictures

and videos that we then shared with the entire community of walkers.” The funds raised go directly towards the YW’s transitional housing program in West Niagara. Participants in the program rent an affordable housing unit from the YW for up to three years while receiving regular support from a social worker. “ Amidst the affordable

housing crisis, this program has become more important than ever before,” said Good, who added that the event is a chance to address some myths around homelessness. “Yes, the people accessing this program are at risk of becoming homeless. But not because they are lazy or not trying hard enough,

which is often still a common belief. Without this program, they would have to couch-surf, leave their home community behind, or even worse, live in the streets.” The YW is hoping to raise $60,000. To walk as individuals or by signing up with a team of family members, colleagues, or friends register at: www.cnoy.org/westniagara

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